Video: Knox lawyer: ‘End of a nightmare’

Transcript of: Knox lawyer: ‘End of a nightmare’

LAUER:All right,
Lester
, and
Keith
,
thank you very much
.
Carlo Dalla Vedova
is one of
Amanda Knox
's attorneys. He joins us exclusively. Mr.
Dalla Vedova
, good morning. Thank you for joining us.

Mr. DALLA VEDOVA:Good morning to all
of you, and thank you much for the invitation.

LAUER:I want to talk to you about the potential
appeal
here in a second, but first, I'd like to take you back to the moment you were standing in that courtroom with
Amandaright by your side
seeming very unstable. It looked as if she could pass out at any moment and then the verdict was read and she melted into you and broke down. Take me through the moment. What do you remember?

Mr. DALLA VEDOVA:Well, as everybody has seen because it was a live registration,
Amanda
was extremely scared. She was scared about this decision. She knew that this decision would change her life. She was in between a request of life in jail and get dismissed. And entire week for her was extremely difficult because, first of all, we had hearings every day until 6:00 in the evening. So she was particularly stressed, but I would say she was mainly scared. When she heard that she was dismissed then of course she started to cry because for her this was the end of a nightmare, the end of a tunnel, and she almost collapsed. Yes, she is weak. She hasn't get so much sleep and this week has been extremely heavy on her, so for her the way of crying was just a relief.

LAUER:What was the moment like for you, Mr.
Dalla Vedova
, personally?

Mr. DALLA VEDOVA:I never make a personal issue when I'm working. I work for my clients and we knew we had good reason for having our
appeal
accepted, so we were waiting for this moment. This moment could have come almost at the first grade if we had a more complete analysis of all the evidence. So for us it's just a matter of work, and, of course, we were happy and satisfied that all our reasonable
appeal
were accepted, and we are extremely happy for the future of
Amanda
.
Amanda
is a very good girl and she deserved to go back to her life and freedom.

LAUER:As you know, the prosecution has now said they will indeed
appeal
this verdict to the
Italian Supreme Court
. Do you think they will be able to meet the criteria to be granted that
appeal
?

Mr. DALLA VEDOVA:It's hard
to say because we need to read the motivation. The motivation is going to be filed within 90 days, so we will know exactly what is the ground based in which the court has decided to dismiss the accusation. We are ready. If the prosecutor has, according to law, will file the opposition to the
supreme court
which is a special opposition, the opposition to the
supreme court
can only be filed for violation of law, so there will be no review of the evidence and we will not go into the merit. It will be only limited to a possible violation of principle of law. And if that happened we will be ready to defend and support our client's rights also in front of the
supreme court
. We're not worried. And this is quite standard. We have this procedure in
Italy
where you have a second grade and also a third grade and we are ready.

LAUER:Let me ask you -- let me ask you about the prosecutor, Mr.
Mignini
. He went very far during this
appeal
process in characterizing
Amanda Knox
as evil. He said some very derogatory things about her. He's now decided to take this to the next level to the
Italian Supreme Court
. In your opinion, do you think that he has perhaps crossed a line from the professional to the personal here, that in some way he has a grudge or a vendetta against
Amanda Knox
?

Mr. DALLA VEDOVA:Well, I think first of all, we have to respect the prosecutor. The prosecutor of us, it's a neutral person, is not an individual. He works on behalf of the state and is acting in order to support the accusation in the interests of all the citizens. It's a very difficult job, so we -- everybody has to respect this position. It's not a personal issue. It's a
big mistake
to bring any evaluation on a personal level. Certainly the prosecutor has made a huge mistake and it's not Mr.
Mignini
, it's the office of the prosecutor that has made a huge mistake. The mistake was made at the beginning because they evaluate
Amanda
behave in a wrong way and the
court of appeal
has recognized this mistake. Then there's been a number of mistakes that has been confirmed; therefore, altogether the handling of the accusation, especially in the first investigation period...

LAUER:Right.

Mr. DALLA VEDOVA:...it's a result of a
big mistake
. And
thank God
we have the
appeal
that has been rectifying this mistake.

LAUER:Let me end on this question, Mr.
Dalla Vedova
. The reaction outside the courtroom yesterday evening was mixed. There were some people applauding the verdict, there were others cheer -- or yelling shame, shame. Do you get the sense right now that in
Italy
there is an appetite among the public for this to go further or do you think the
Italian people
would like to put this whole case behind them?

Mr. DALLA VEDOVA:First of all, I don't agree with your statement. There was no critics outside. I was outside, and
Deanna
,
Amanda's
sister, made a statement and there was no comments when we made a statement. And the comments were made made in a different occasion. I was standing outside with thousands of people in the main road of
Perugia
, and I think I gave something like 20 interviews last night and there was no comments when I was talking. So I think you have to refer to somebody else. But what concerned the
public opinion
there's been a complete change in the last months, and so despite the fact that the media have certainly have a role in this, especially at the beginning in the investigation phase, we also have to acknowledge that the media have changed the
public opinion
in the sense that they're moving to a possibility of being innocent in the last year. And this was certainly something that was not done by us, but it was given only by the fact that many observers have clearly identified that there was no evidence to support the accusation.

LAUER:Carlo
...

Mr. DALLA VEDOVA:So we actually are satisfied also in how the media have handled this.

LAUER:Carlo Dalla Vedova
, the
defense attorney
, or one of the defense attorneys for
Amanda Knox
. Mr.
Dalla Vedova
, thank you for your time this morning. I appreciate it.

“We are ready,’’ Dalla Vedova said. “The opposition to the Supreme Court can only be filed for violation of law, so there would be no review of the evidence. It will be only limited to a possible violation of the principle of law. If that happens, we will be ready to defend and support our clients’ rights. We are not worried.’’

The 24-year-old student from Seattle was freed on appeal Monday after a four-year imprisonment in Perugia, Italy. In 2009, she and ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering Knox's 21-year-old British roommate Meredith Kercher. Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison; Sollecito got 25. Both of those convictions were overturned on Monday.

The prosecution’s process of appeal to Italy’s highest court cannot begin until appeals court judge Claudio Pratillo Hellman issues an explanation for overturning Knox’s conviction. The prosecutors will then analyze that report to see what grounds they will have to file an appeal, which most likely would not be heard until 2012. Knox would not be forced to attend a retrial.

“I never make a personal issue when I’m working,’’ he said. “I work for my clients and we knew we had good reason for having our appeal accepted, so we were waiting for this moment. We are extremely happy for the future of Amanda. Amanda is a very good girl, and she deserved to go back to her life and freedom.’’

Knox was painted as “Satanic’’ and a “she-devil’’ by the Italian prosecution team, led by Giuliano Mignini. Dalla Vedova dismissed the notion that Mignini and the prosecution are attempting to take the case to the highest court for personal reasons.

“It’s not Mr. Mignini; it’s the office of the prosecutor has made a huge mistake,’’ he said. “The mistake was made at the beginning because they evaluated Amanda’s behavior in the wrong way and the court of appeal has recognized this mistake. There have been a number of mistakes that have been confirmed, therefore altogether, the handling of the accusation, especially in the first investigation period, it’s a result of a big mistake, and thank God we have the appeal that has rectified the mistake.’’

As for the intense media spotlight, Dalla Vedova believes it only helped Knox's case.

“The media have changed the public opinion in the sense that they’ve moved it to the possibility of (Knox) being innocent in the last year,’’ he said. “So we actually are satisfied in how the media have handled this.’’

Amanda Knox: Her long legal saga

The long legal saga of Amanda Knox, an American student accused of the violent death of her roommate, British student Meredith Kercher, has made headlines around the world since it began in Perugia, Italy, in late 2007.

Reversal of fortune
From left, Pierluigi Puglia, member of the British consulate in Italy; Stephanie Kercher, sister of the late Meredith Kercher; her brother, Lyle Kercher, and lawyer Francesco Maresca speak to the press in Florence on Jan. 31, 2014, the day after the guilty verdicts against Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito for the murder of UK student Meredith Kercher in 2007 were reinstated in Italy. The verdict overturned Knox and Sollecito's successful appeal in 2011, which released them after four years in jail.
(Franco Origlia / Getty Images)
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Reconvicted

Amanda Knox is shown here in Seattle after serving four years in prison after being convicted in a case involving the murder of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher. Her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito is shown here in Florence, Italy, on Jan. 20, 2014. Though both were acquitted on appeal and released in 2011, they were re-convicted of the murder on Jan. 30, 2014.
(Splash News, AP file)
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Awaiting another verdict

Raffaele Sollecito leaves court in Florence, Italy, on Jan. 30, 2014. The Italian ex-boyfriend of Amanda Knox awaited the court's verdict in the retrial of both Knox and himself for the murder of Meredith Kercher more than two years after they were acquitted.
(Maurizio Degl' Innocenti / EPA)
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A new trial

Francesco Maresca, lawyer for the family of Meredith Kercher, talks to reporters as he arrives for the start of Amanda Knox's second appeals trial in Florence, Italy, Monday, Sept. 30, 2013. Italy's highest court ordered a new trial for Knox and her former Italian boyfriend, overturning their acquittals in the 2007 slaying of Kercher.
(Francesco Bellini / AP)
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Not going back

Amanda Knox appeared on TODAY on Sept. 20, 2013, to discuss her upcoming retrial in Florence for the murder of her British roommate Meredith Kercher. Knox maintained that she would not go back to Italy to face trial again: "It's not a possibility, as I was imprisoned as an innocent person and I just can't relive that," she told Matt Lauer.
(Peter Kramer / NBC)
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A memoir

Filled with details first recorded in the journals Amanda Knox kept while in Italy, "Waiting to be Heard," Knox's memoir, is set to be released on April 30, 2013.
(HarperCollins via AP)
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Acquittal overturned

Luciano Ghirga, lawyer of Amanda Knox, center, talks to journalists as he leaves Italy's Court of Cassation in Rome on March 26, 2013. Italy's highest criminal court overturned the acquittal of Amanda Knox in the slaying of her British roommate and ordered a new trial. The court ruled that an appeals court in Florence would have to re-hear the case against the American and her Italian-ex-boyfriend for the murder of 21-year-old Meredith Kercher.
(Gregorio Borgia / AP)
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Home at last

Amanda Knox makes remarks after arriving in Seattle a day after her release from prison in Italy on Oct. 4, 2011. She was acquitted of murder and sexual assault by an Italian appeals court after spending four years in custody over the killing of her British housemate, Meredith Kercher. At left is her father, Kurt Knox.
(Dan Levine / EPA)
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Welcome home

Well-wishers greet Amanda Knox upon her arrival at Sea-Tac Airport in Seattle a day after her release from prison in Italy on Oct. 4, 2011.
(Dan Levine / EPA)
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Tears of relief

Amanda Knox cries after hearing the verdict that overturned her conviction and acquits her of murdering her British roommate Meredith Kercher, at the Perugia court on Monday, Oct. 3. The Italian appeals court threw out Amanda Knox's murder conviction and ordered the young American freed after nearly four years in prison.
(Pier Paolo Cito / AP)
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Home front

Supporters of Amanda Knox react as they watch a news broadcast about her appeal verdict from a hotel suite in downtown Seattle on Oct. 3.
(Elaine Thompson / AP)
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Sisterly support

Amanda Knox's sister Deanna Knox, center, cries tears of joy in Perugia's Court of Appeal after hearing that Amanda won her appeal against her murder conviction on Monday in Perugia, Italy.
(Oli Scarff / Getty Images)
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Closing arguments

Amanda Knox, accused of the 2007 murder of her housemate Meredith Kercher, arrives in court as her appeal trial resumes in Perugia, on Sept. 30, 2011.
Wrapping up the defense case, Knox's lawyer, Carlo Dalla Vedova, points to alleged errors by police and urges a panel of lay and professional judges to look beyond how Knox has been portrayed by the media and the prosecution.
(Tiziana Fabi / AFP - Getty Images)
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Her fate in the balance

Her ex-boyfriend

Raffaele Sollecito attends his appeal hearing at Perugia's Court of Appeal on Sept. 29, 2011 in Perugia, Italy. Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito are awaiting the verdict of their appeal that could see their conviction for the murder of Meredith Kercher overturned.
(Oli Scarff / Getty Images)
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He calls her 'she-devil'

Carlo Pacelli (center), lawyer for Patrick Lumumba, (left) -- a barman who is seeking damages from Amanda Knox as part of a civil case running alongside her murder appeal -- speaks outside the Perugia courthouse on Sept. 26, 2011.
Pacelli called Knox a "she-devil" and told the appeals court she destroyed Lumumba's image by falsely accusing him of the murder, testimony that helps prosecutors attack her credibility. Knox has said she wrongly implicated Lumumba under pressure from police.
.
(Mario Laporta / AFP - Getty Images)
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Legal battleground

Through the bars of holding cells, a view of the courtroom in Perugia on Sept. 6, 2011, before the resumption of the appeal trial of Amanda Knox and her Italian ex-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito.
(Fabio Muzzi / AFP - Getty Images)
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Awaiting sentence

Amanda Knox is driven into court at midnight to hear the sentence in her murder trial on Dec. 5, 2009, in Perugia, Italy. Knox was convicted of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher was sentenced to 26 years in prison. Her former Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, was also convicted of the murder charges. He was sentenced to 25 years.
(Franco Origlia / Getty Images)
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Pleading her case

Amanda Knox looks on during a break in the closing arguments of the murder trial in Perugia, Italy on Dec. 3, 2009. She read a statement during her murder trial on Dec. 3, in Italiian saying, "I am afraid of having the mask of a murderer forced onto my skin."
(Max Rossi / Reuters)
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The murder weapon?

Prosecutor Manuela Comodi shows a knife during a hearing in the murder trial for Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy, on Sept. 19, 2009. The knife, wrapped in plastic and kept in a white box, was shown to the eight-member jury during the trial of Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito.
(Stefano Medici / AP)
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Victim in video

At the trial of Amanda Knox, a music video that included an appearance by slain student Meredith Kercher was shown June 8, 2009. Kercher played the love interest in the video for the song "Some Say" by London musician Kristian Leontiou. The 2007 video was shot only weeks before Kercher died in Perugia, Italy, at age 21.
(TODAY)
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Back in court

Amanda Knox, one of three suspects in the murder of Meredith Kercher, arrives at a Sept. 27, 2008 court hearing in Perugia, Italy. Kercher, a British student, was found dead in her Perugia flat on Nov. 1, 2007 with her throat cut.
(Tiziana Fabi / AFP - Getty Images)
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Headed to a hearing

Amanda Knox's ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, who along with Knox and Rudy Hermann Guede was held on suspicion in the murder of Knox’s housemate Meredith Kercher, is escorted by Italian police to a January 2008 hearing with magistrates.
(Paolo Tosti / AFP - Getty Images)
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Remembering Meredith

A floral tribute with photographs of Meredith Kercher is shown at her funeral at Croydon Parish Church, South London on December 14, 2007.
(Peter MacDiarmid / Getty Images)
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Another suspect

In December 2007, police in Germany arrested Rudy Hermann Guede, a native of the Ivory Coast, in connection with Meredith Kercher's murder. Here Guede is shown being led away by Italian police after arriving in Rome from prison in Germany.
(Riccardo De Luca / AP)
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Arrested, then released

Patrick Lumumba Diya, a Congolese man who owned a small bar in Perugia where Amanda Knox sometimes worked as a barmaid, was arrested after being implicated in the Meredith Kercher murder by Knox. However, he was released after another suspect, Rudy Hermann Guede, was arrested in the case. He is shown here leaving police headquarters with his lawyer on Nov. 20, 2007.
(AFP - Getty Images)
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The day after

Amanda Knox, a student from Seattle who had been living with Meredith Kercher in Perugia, was arrested Nov. 6, 2007 for her alleged involvement in Kercher’s murder. Also held by police was Knox’s Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito. Taken Nov. 2, the day Kercher was found dead, this picture shows the pair outside the rented house Knox shared with Kercher.
(Stefano Medici / AP)
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The murder victim

Meredith Kercher, a 21-year-old British exchange student, was found dead with her throat slit on Nov. 2, 2007 in her room in an apartment she shared with other exchange students in the Italian town of Perugia.
(AFP - Getty Images)
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